With all of the hoopla about the beach fire rings and the pollution they cause, let's take a grander view of pollution. Our local oil/fuel refiners break down crude oil into many petroleum products. The state has restrictions on how they must control their pollution. What they don't tell us is that the leavings of all this refining is called coke. Coke is used in the making of steel but cannot be used in the United States. So what happens to the coke? It is sold to Third World countries to be used to refine iron and steel. The massive pollution caused by the use of coke is overlooked by those tooting their horns about a few fire pits. How about blaming the refineries for selling this pollution producing product they call coke?

- Fred Casstevens, Torrance

Provide context into raising golf fees

Re "Golf fees going to fund parks is par for the course" (Letters, April 9):

Southern California Golf Association's Craig Kessler got it right when he wrote that golfers are unique among the users of public recreational services in believing that the fees they pay should cover the costs incurred to provide their services. But he failed to provide the context in which those fees were raised at the Lakes at El Segundo. El Segundo raised those fees and Lane Donovan Golf Partners agreed to reduce their management fee not to effectuate cost recovery, but to compete with a pending proposal from Top Golf and Centercal to turn the Lakes into a cash cow.

El Segundo residents who don't play golf or frequent the Lakes may believe this is not their fight; however, everyone who uses any of our city's public recreational amenities ought to be concerned. A philosophy that places the almighty dollar above all else is not consistent with the values El Segundo citizens place on their athletic fields, recreation centers, picnic areas and open public space areas.

- George Grimaldi, El Segundo

No debate about it: Check facts first

Re "Thatcher role model for U.S. women pols" (Editorial, April 10):

Your editorial said it's been debated whether or not Sarah Palin was snubbed when she sought a meeting with Margaret Thatcher in 2011. But there's no debate that you didn't check the facts first. Palin had inquired about visiting London while returning home from Israel in 2011, but she and the rest of us were unaware that Thatcher's Alzheimer's disease was too far advanced. It turns out that Thatcher had stopped all public appearances after several strokes in 2002, and long before 2011 had trouble communicating with her family or remembering that her husband had died in 2003. If this was explained to Palin, she never referred to it out of common decency and respect for the afflicted Thatcher.

- Charles Sergis, Redondo Beach

The United States should stop doing biz in China

China recently went on a bashing binge of U.S. companies in order to get more. The Chinese bashed Apple for poor warranty performance. They bashed McDonald's and KFC's food. They wanted to give a black eye to these companies to lessen their profitability. Shame on them. McDonald's began offering free food to placate the Chinese. Very costly. Apple had to issue an apology in Chinese to placate the locals. KFC also had to issue an apology. Doing business in China is risky at best. They want our goods but feel slighted if they can't have it their way. Stop doing business in China and do business in countries that welcome us.